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Looking at family holiday options, we've done Mallorca the last couple of years and want something different, fancying Greece.
Corfu or Crete are the options, as want to stick to somewhere that is direct flights from Edinburgh as way easier than connections with young kids.
Any suggestions for either island? Looking for self catering, not too far from beaches (though doesn't have to be on the coast), absolutely don't want to be in a large tacky resort but equally don't want to be out in the sticks and have to get in the car whenever we go anywhere. We don't need much in the way of "kids stuff", a swimming pool or beach and a play park and they are happy, no need for kids clubs or water parks.
Pollenca has suited us quite nicely in the past, in a self catering villa walking distance to the town so you can get some peace and quiet around the house but be at cafe/bars/play parks for the kids within short walking distance, then a short hop in the car for half decent beaches.
No biking on this trip sadly, so don't care about access to riding.
Maybe not as much help/advice as you’re looking for, but here’s something
a couple of years ago we visited a small resort in Crete as part of a boat trip. It was only an hour we were there but I liked it. The town is called Sisi
if we were going back to Crete I’d be looking here to stay
Last year we went to Skiathos. Loved it. Will definitely be going back. Recommend the old town for eating out in the evening.
Crete is biiig. If you fancy pick a region or two (there are four) and focus on things to do and places to stay in that area. It's relatively getting across the top of the island on the main road but once you're off that things really slow down which is fine so long as you're not trying to do too much. Can't recommend a place to stay as we were in a massive resort but Chania and Rethymnon towns are great and the gorges to the south spectacular. The south coast is a world away from the north but probably not suitable to stay.
It's been a while since I've been to either - but my memory was that they both felt very different. Corfu is far greener - my memory of Crete was that it felt very hot and arid.
As Scuttler says - the south is beautiful, but it;s a bit of a ball-ache getting there, things may have improved though.
We stayed in a nice family run hotel near Rethymno. A nice town. I thought - not club 18 - 20 type tourism if rather touristy but where is not? . Crete can be very hot
We stayed in Camari gardens in Gerani just west of Rethmynon and thoroughly enjoyed it, a short trip to Episkopi beach or inland to the Samara gorge, it's a small village but there are some incredible 'local' taverna just up the hill.
had our honeymoon in a quiteish place west of chania, liked it that much we wment back the next year. it wasn't a big resort kind of area which suited us as it was relaxing do nothing holidays but we did hire a car for 3 days both times and explore the mountains/south coast a bit which was well worth doing.
Stayed in Bali, between Heraklion and Rethymnon on the north coast of Crete, summer 1997. Effing hot in July and knack all to do when there. Maybe two bars, four or five restaurants. No ATMs but that was a long time ago. Nearest ATM at the time was in Rethymnon, which needed a hire car/scooter, or a twenty minute walk to the highway to catch a bus.
Never been back.
oh aye, there’s the ‘famous’ Greek plumbing to bear in mind too
Almyrida in Crete. We went last year and are going again in august
we've been to corfu (achravi) and didnt really rate it, nor much about the island really. had a car so explored a bit of the island, but even the recommended resorts (paleokastritsa) left us a bit underwhelmed.
loved the other islands we've been to so far, zante (tsilivi, alykes/alykanas), rhodes (pefkos), kefalonia (svoronata and the southern part) and we're trying kos (tigaki) in may. also did mainland pelopponese (stoupa) which we loved too.
watching this thread with interest as we're also thinking of crete in october so wouldnt mind a few suggestions for resorts in a similar vein to where we've been so far. nice and quiet, no football shirts, karaokes or mcdonalds which pretty much seems to be in line with the OP too.
LOVE greece, we'd happily to go there every year, people are the friendliest we've encountered, lovely scenery and beaches, hot weather, whats not to like!
Corfu
stayed here 4 years ago....
[URL] https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Barras+Apartments/ @39.7543785,19.6463868,17.42z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x135b4ded71a89537:0x95e05126cb945357!8m2!3d39.7534152!4d19.6461189?hl=en[/URL]
Agios Stefanos is a relatively quiet town, close to the beach, also close to the Corfu beer brewery who do tours (hint - worth the walk!)
kids were 16 & 14 and said it was a great place. 8-9 restaurants and a couple of bars meant we were fine for eating out and loads of options.
we plan to go back.
watching this thread with interest as we’re also thinking of crete in october so wouldnt mind a few suggestions for resorts in a similar vein to where we’ve been so far.
we're actually going a bit earlier now, next week in fact 🙂
a couple of years ago we visited a small resort in Crete as part of a boat trip. It was only an hour we were there but I liked it. The town is called Sisi
if we were going back to Crete I’d be looking here to stay
.......which is good to know cos thats where we're booked 🙂
anyone else been here and got any info on the place?
cheers
just updating this with our findings, as we're just back from our second jaunt now.
did east of the island last year, (sissi, as mentioned above). flew into heraklion for this one, lovely little fishing village, just the right sort of size for us (small and not commercial). only thing it lacked for us was a decent beach in the resort, although there are 2 or 3 within walking distance, and some swim from the little bit of sand in the harbour.
had a car for a few days, drove through one of the towns we had considered booking, hersinnissos. it was like blackpool on acid, do NOT go there if you dont like miles of bars, tourist shops, football shirts, busy busy busy, noisy noisy noisy. theres 3 towns all melded together, hersinissos, malia and stalis. they say stalis is the quieter one to visit if you want a family holiday, but personally i think theres far better 'family resorts'.
visited elounda which we'd be happy to stay in, lovely sandy beach, and the highlight for me was driving a bit further than elounda to plaka, early in the morning, and getting the staff boat over to spinalonga island (the old leper colony ruins) before the tourist boats came in. had the whole island to ourselves, and left just as those boats were coming in. magical, thought-provoking morning, and if youre interested in spinalonga, id definitely recommend reading 'the island' by victoria hislop.
as per usual, i found us a nice little hair-raising drive up in the mountain villages, lots of hairpin bends with sheer drops, mrs ex-punk hates me for this 😀
also had the best meal we've ever had in greece, in a little village in the hills above malia (mochos).
just back last night from t'other side of the island, flew into chania this time (preferred this airport out of the two), and stayed in georgioupolis, about 45 mins drive. hired a car for the full 7 days this time and picked and dropped off painlessly from the airport.
we'd ummed and ahhed over 3 places to stay, georgioupolis, almyrida and kalyves, and i think we just about got it right. GP is a small resort with just enough going on, a looooong sandy beach to one side, and a sheltered bay the other.
visited kalyves, a proper working town with 2 lovely beaches and would be my 2nd choice in that area, and almyrida, nice enough, smaller, bit more touristy.
visited rethymno, didnt care for it much although i can see why plenty do. just a busy town to us although the old town has some quirky areas and some impressive venetian buildings. for this reason we didnt visit chania itself, we just dont like busy towns unless its something to do if the weathers bad.
the good thing about GP is its location, bit nearer for some of the places we wanted to visit, argyroupoli with its lovely tavernas set in impressive springs, and its only a 5 minute drive to lake kournas which we loved. picturesque lake, pedalos out to look for turtles (saw 3 and a water snake) and cheap, lovely food up in the tavernas overlooking the lake.
did a long trip over to the south of the island, plenty to see again, an impressive plateau, imbros gorge, and an old war museum run by a lovely old chap.
visited chora skafion (nice little resort and harbour area with a pebbly beach) and the highlight for us was the next place along, frangokastello. found a lovely quiet, sandy bay, hardly anyone there as its not really a 'destination' place. warm, shallow water gently shelving away...... bliss. we're going to look at booking some apartments here in september.
further along the coast to plakias, again somewhere we'd be happy to stay. didnt spend long there but the beach and resort look lovely, as did the next place along, damnoni beach.
went back up the island along a different route and stopped in another little place recommended to us, spili. picturesque little village, and well worth a stop.
there were also a number of villages worth visiting in the hills between GP and kalyves/almyrida, two worth a mention being vrisses and vamos, the latter having one of the best tavernas in that area. lovely meal and bought some homemade raki and honey raki there.
currently looking at flights back to chania late september 😀